Get'n Bow'd

New York is a funny place. Zack zack zack...on the go...everybody racing along to their own agenda. The place is always moving, noisy, and simply buzzying with life.

I felt like I was back at the American Football match...For folk that come from out of town walking down the street here can be dangerous, with people charging passed. I felt like I needed to wear shoulder pads and a helmet. Infact after a week of being here I really wanted to race down Broadway and see what would happen if I thumped everybody out of the way in that gear...I doubt they'd have noticed! or maybe clapped thinking it was a contemporary performance of type!

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when two little old ladies tackled me from either side on the Brooklyn bridge.

Sheeshh...and in a moment of exressing myself to Daniel, my friend here, I waved my elbows about...not hitting anybody for the record.....when an African Amercan guy angrily said, "You bow'n me!"...whoa..."no mate"...just expressing.

And that's when I realised this city is all about bow'n.

So I settled into a couple of weeks of NYC life.

It was so exciting arriving into town. For the first time on my trip I was catching up with an old friend.
First off, I jumped in a taxi from the Airport to Wall street...yep..that's where he lives...pretty cool.

Much to my delight, the building he lives in stares at one of my favourite buildings in NYC! It was meant to be.

In the taxi I was greeted by TV in the back of the seat in front of me...wow...and I could even pay for the taxi by magically waving my credit card in front of the TV...ooohh aaahhh...I'd hit the Big Apple.

Even cooler though is that my friend is a chef, managing a series of Restaurants and Cafes in town...yummo!

NYC is big, so it seriously took me a few days to orient myself and get used to the street numbering system and subway...having two weeks here, was fantastic because for the first time I felt like things were getting familiar and I could observe normal NYC life, rather than simply being overwhelmed by it all.

Being in the financial district I passed the stock exchange each day.
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I already mentioned the building I absolutely love, and no...not the Chrysler..that's a given. This one is called the CIty Bank Farmer's Trust Building and it's on 20 Exchange Place.

I remember seeing it years ago and the domineering figures looking down on me far up above....well...from Daniel's building you stare right into their eyes! It's such a great example of NYC architecture.
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Big love for this buiding.

Throughout my time here I just wandered the streets soaking in the detail.
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Although new, this building looked so familiar...and then I realised it was the ads I'd seen on TV for the new MIssion Impossible film...there you go

Other buildings I sort out to see were;

The new Towers that were being built at Ground Zero
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The NYC Public Library
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The French Building
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And naturally the Chrysler Building...just exquisite.

It turned out that the best view of all was from the street!
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The Rockefeller Center is a must...particularly at Christmas and due to the tree that is put up each year with the countdown being a national event.
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Fascinating artwork can be found in and all around it.

Famously this is where Rockefeller had Diego Rivera's mural torn out...the guard whispered to me, "bet they all regret that now!" Too right! I was too scared to mention it, considering how much I loved the works in Mexico City, they might have locked me up thinking I'm a communist!

But the works made to replace it by Jose Maria Sert are fabulous too. If you stare at the ceiling you might just recognise an optical illusion that occurs...go check it out!
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Christmas Spirit was in the air with decorations of every type and size on display!
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Around town one day, loads of people were running around dressed up as Father Christmas or one of his helpers...it seems that this is a big event that happens once a year in the city, so spirits were high...
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So high in fact that one ended up in prison for not buying a ticket!

Naaa...just kidding...

It's the Subway

I'd spent days trying to get the best vantage point to see the Chrysler building, first going to the Rockefeller centre observation deck.

But the ever so ugly Metlife building obscures the view from there.

A note to these famous observation deck buildings...Americans run them like the army. You're filed in, ordered to take of your gear and have everything scanned...like we all want to get them, you know...

How's the saying go..."you get what you look for"....imagine how nice the world would be if they thought everyone was fantastic.

Then you have a museum full of information you can read on route to the lifts...but if you dare to stop you get screamed at by the guards for blocking the flow...hmm... Like with tailgaters of the driving kind, I decided to just ignore it and enjoy the presentation..

So, if they don't want the path blocked, then they shouldn't stick the information along the path. Besides, some nice person put a lot of thought into displaying this information, so it's nice to show a little respect and enjoy absorbing it!

Then of course, there are the series of 5 minute videos you can enjoy, if the guard would just quieten down for a second and stop harassing you to move on...sheesh. The Rockefeller centre has 3 paths at different levels with leaning rails, and it's set up like an auditorium where you can stand and enjoy the films whilst other people pass through...somewhat sad to see guests guiltily moving on, like they'd done something wrong...hmmm...Of course, I suggested he tone it down a bit and needless to say he wasn't impressed..but hey..he couldn't fight the "good american service" argument...and I still had the "we're paying customers" up my sleeve...bwah ha ha!

The building boom in the States was an amazing point in history with photos like this recognised worldwide

What you see today is nice, but doesn't have the same impact

The lift was fun though.

And although busy up top, the view was lovely in all directions.
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A few days later I made my way to the Empire State Building....It has a better view in some ways but it was a smoggy day.

Although the staff here were also cow herding, they were much nicer and respectful.

The displays were off to the side giving whomever wanted, the chance to read...but this time the crowd came to a screeching halt anyway and it turned out for no reason other than to have a photo forced upon them...there was almost a panic outbreak when I politely refused and headed straight for the lift. Each to their own...definitely not my thing to have a fake photo made. This type of business was also running at other major sites around the country, including Alcatraz and the like.

At the ESB you have the opportunity to go to the main deck or up another few flights to the highest observation point in the city (if you buy that ticket). I figured "why not?"..it isn't like I'll do it again.

Well...nothing to gain by doing this, is all I can say.

There are few people there, but it's tight and tiny. You're indoors and the windows are covered with an anti-scratch film, that of course is covered in scratches and love notes. The view isn't really any better than below.

I was amused to have the life operator tell me all about the famous guests that come up here though. There are a few more levels that can be walked up to, but the public has no access. She gushed, "Tom Cruise comes here all the time and he just loves going further up and outside and hanging off the railing! ooohhhh...isn't he adventurous!!" Sounds like he needs to live in Nob Hill to me. Blurrr, I could never could stand that actor and this only confirms it...Enough said.

Here's the view from the standard deck.
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As you race in between all these buildings you pass street parks and to the amusement of many New yorkers I spent forever trying to get that perfect shot of a squirrel. The squirrels were out foraging about the place...and they are pests to some, but how can you not like this!

Of course after 2 weeks of talking about it, I finally raced to the Museum of Anthropology but when I got there, I realised, I just couldn't do it to myself...so I promptly left to enjoy other great things.

Don't get me wrong, there are some fantastic Museums and Galleries in NYC but I'd seen that great Museum in San Francisco so it was enough for now.

A stroll through the Upper West Village took me passed a local school, lined with those typical yellow buses Amercians use.

For years I'd heard about how dangerous Central Park is, and in fact lot of areas in NYC but they city has been cleaned up since then and I found myself walking around the park and pretty much everywhere, with no issues.

Central Park felt really peaceful.
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The notion of romance by taking a horse and carriage ride around the park...brought me to tears...of laughter!...although it was that freezing, that it might have been the cold.

But still...the carriages were back to back, with the drivers on their mobile phone the whole time...I swear there are hundreds of them. It's almost like riding on a kids Merry Go Round, with mobile tunes filling the air!

They even sat in traffic jams at times!

Then about half way down the park you arrive at Strawberry fields...

Imagine that!

And just near by is the Dakota Building...admittedly I hadn't thought about John Lennon during my whole visit, but I'm certainly pleased I stumbled across this area, because the building that he lived in has the most stunning detail.
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I did intend to go ice skating at the Wollmann Rink, having heard how pretty it is, but somehow this never eventuated....possibly due to all the great food I was enjoying! and a certain laziness that was setting in...

Columbus Circle is at one corner and prides itself on offering some word famous restaurants. It's also the jazz corner of town.
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Comparative to the park, nights in town weren't so quiet. There's a constant loud buzz in the air but even this is trumped by the police changing shift...or simply playing there sirens for the fun of it.

Having learned that Philadephia is very close, and knowing that an old family friends, Mandy and Wayne lived there I dedicated one day to a whirlwind meetup and get away from the business of NYC. Good fun!

I can't remember the names of everything I saw and I was more interested in chatting, but she still managed to race me around to see the highlights..especially a couple of good restaurants.
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We even saw one very famous organ at a shopping centre

The eagle, which seems to be a common meeting point

And even the centre of town!

But Philadelphia is a trip in its own right. It has loads of history and far to much to digest in such little time. So we bid or farewells and I hope on this great bus system that get's you to and from loads of places around NYC...Megabus...it's comfortable and cheap. I think it only cost me around $10 between NYC and Phili!

In China Town I passed by this place...I mean really...how can anyone resist that!

Back in the big apple, I was intrigued to see how well space was used..unfortunately I didn't actually see this in operation. But as the sign says...paring is unparalleled in NYC!
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The other thing I can't help but ring up , is the mountains of rubbish that is put out each night...Now this is one big city..but you'd never get away with this in South America...the dogs would be into it in a flash. But here the rubbish is collected each night...and probably any stray dogs too!

Times Square is the busiest flashiest place you can come across. Almost frightening. Literally every wall is covered in electronic advertising. I'd been here before though and as odd as it may seem, not too interested in it all..I was here for the Police station...The New York Police Department (NYPD).

Now have you ever seen a flashing police station like this!
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"N"..."y"..."P"..."D"....."NYPD"...."N"..."y"..."P"..."D"...on and on and on! Gosh..this might have even picked up the spirits of those Cheer leaders I saw!

Good to see the cops keeping up with all the fun.

The Brooklyn bridge was another favourite of mine and I headed over it a couple of times.
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It was surprising to see that no safety railings had been put up...or to hinder any other silly acts someone might think up.
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Considering this is were those grannies tackled me, I could easily have been tossed into the traffic by them!

It seems that over time a bunch of people left their mark by attaching a lock to the bridge...It was quite poignant in a way...nice hey!

Such a nice way to leave NYC, with something to possibly collect when you return one day...or maybe for a loved one to collect...all very Empire State Building...even the loved one falling into the traffic whilst trying to retrieve it!

So much to see and experience and so much more to tell!

So hasta luego para ahora! (Did I mention all of the Spanish Speakers in town?..even the signs and ads in the trains!..woohoo...)

Naomixxx